


Not Another Hero

by TigrisNox



Category: Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2
Genre: Brothers, Gen, Lion's Arch, Video Game, charr - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-15
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-25 10:22:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2618372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigrisNox/pseuds/TigrisNox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryuu strikes out on his own and finds that it's not exactly what he thought it might be, coming to understand his past as he works for his future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Another Hero

**Author's Note:**

> Possible spoilers if you haven't completed the game or any living story content.

It had to be the bright light filtered by dust that woke me. Or perhaps it was the percussion section of Uzolan's musical contraption that pounded in my head. Whichever it was, I didn't care. I just wanted it to go away, but it wouldn't. I'd woken up from enough hangovers to know they wouldn't  disappear. Wishing it away or ignoring it would do no damn good.

The ache in my hands told me I'd hit something  several times. Carefully, so as not to jar my head and set off a percussion symphony, I moved over to the shaded corner and checked my hands. Nothing seemed to be broken; just bruised and scraped. So I wouldn't need to pay a priestess of Dwayna to heal me. As I catalogued the aches and pains, it dawned on me that my perception was off;  my left eye wouldn’t  open all the way. A gentle touch showed it was puffy and painful. It must have been a doozy of a bar fight.

I looked around at what had to be my cell. Without a doubt, I knew it wasn't the one in Divinity's Reach. I'd seen that one enough times to know it with a bleary-eyed glance. It was rougher, more makeshift. I knew where I was -- Lion's Arch.

It was confirmed when  a Charr poked his head in.

"Oh good, you're awake, mouse," he growled in that raspy  voice. "You have some questions to answer, human."

I blinked and stood up, not missing the way he shifted  as if I were a threat. That must have been one hell of a brawl if a Charr felt threatened by a human getting to his feet. I sucked in a deep breath  and rubbed my temples.

"I have no damn clue what answers you're looking for, Charr," I told him.  I knew my flippant attitude  would annoy him. It always did with  these military types. At least, it annoyed Seraph Captain Logan Frickin' Thackarey. "I just came to when you stuck your  muzzle into my kennel."

His nostrils flared, and he let out a  low rumbling growl.

"Enough, mouse," the Charr snarled. "Come with me. Captain Kiel wants  a word with you."

I blinked.  Even being from Divinity's Reach, I knew that name. The newest Captain on Lion's Arch's Captains Council, had lead the Lionguard. Why did she want to deal with me?

As I moved out of the cell, with the hulking  Charr lumbering  behind me, I reflected how different this was from the last time I walked out of a prison cell.

*****Three Weeks Prior*****

_"I can't believe this, Ryuu! Again?" my brother exclaimed, shaking his head as we walked out of the Seraph Headquarters. "Seriously, one of these days they'll just keep you in a cell and feed the key to the Shatterer."_

_I shrugged at my older brother. This was a conversation we had  every time he came to pick me up out of one cell or another in  Divinity's Reach or Shaemoor. Once we'd had it on the walk back from Claypool. Orus might complain, but family meant the moon and stars to him, especially since  I was all he had left of his family. For me, he was the only family I'd ever known outside the orphanage._

_Deb had been killed by centaurs. We still had no clue how our parents died. So all Orus had was his troublemaking, ale-swilling, bar-brawling younger brother, who cared next to nothing about his family heritage. What had it gotten us? Nothing. Our great-great-grandfather was a footnote in history. Being a hero didn't pay off. Neither did saving the world._

_"You don't have to understand it, Orus," I told him, shrugging a shoulder. "You can do what you want, and I’m old enough to do what I want. You don't even have to bail me out of jail.  You choose to." I could tell that attitude bothered him. He hated when I chose that tact. Perhaps that was why I did it. I didn't know. All I knew was that Orus and I were two very different people and he couldn't stand it._

_We walked through Divinity's Reach.   All manner of humanity crammed into one city. Krytan, Ascalonian, Elona and Canthan. All had their own flavor, their own culture, their own beliefs. The melting pot was nice but so bland that I felt stifled.   As we walked into the small home we shared, which Orus paid the rent on, I glared at the old set of armor in its  place of honor. Kurzick armor made deep in the Echovald Forest...according to family legends. I thought it was a load of crap. I could admit, however, that the armor, with  hints of amber in the black and   blue trim was well made.   I could see the dings and scratches  where the metal had been reshaped after blows dented it. Whomever our  ancestor had been, he'd been a tough bastard._

_From the kitchen, Orus had been talking to me, so  I moved over  to him._

_"What?"_

_"You know, maybe, just maybe, if you paid attention when people spoke to you, you wouldn't wind up looking like a training pell all the time," Orus told me, rolling his eyes. "I have a job out in Shaemoor at the Garrison. Some turrets need working on." He shrugged. "Might be a few days."_

_Orus’ nonchalance about his job set off  a warning in my head._

_"What is it you'll really be doing, Orrie?" I asked._

_Orus didn't even roll his eyes. When he started to talk about turrets and the garrison in Shaemoor, I shook my head. He was lying. I knew it._

_"That's bullshit. What are you really doing out there, Orus?" I demanded, leveling my glare at him._

_Orus  shook his head. "You'll  think it’s full of shit, Ryuu," he told me. "I'm going to see if I can find Deb."_

_"You're right, you are full of shit! Deb’s dead. She's gone  with all the other poor sops with Falcon Company!" I yelled at him._

_It's to Orus' credit that he never lost his temper; that I remembered. Became  annoyed, maybe pissed but never lost his temper. Then again, I suppose working with explosives that could go boom in his face made him  calm._

_"There's...evidence from the Seraph that some of the Falcon Company could have been captured...and made into slaves. I owe it to her to find out."_

_"You owe no one anything!" I shouted. "You're trying to be some  big damn hero. Our family doesn't need anymore damn heroes. That’s what being a hero gets you -- dead."_

_I didn't mean to hit the suit of armor when I flung my arm out, but  I did. I hit it pretty hard and it came down off its stand with a crash, the helm rolling to the door. I watched it spin for a moment then looked over at my brother. He  finally  lost his temper, and it wasn't what I  expected._

_"Really? That's what you think? Then you don't know a damn thing about me, Ryuu," he said. "I care about our family. That's all I’ve  ever cared about. It's why I chase after you when you get your ass into trouble. I probably should stop." His voice was ice, his  golden eyes, so like mine,  narrowed. "So, it's time for little Ryuu to grow up. Find your own way. Get the hell out of my house."_

_It was a punch to my gut. I couldn’t believe he was serious.  Orus didn't blink, didn't waver.   I shook my head, hid  my pain,  and stepped into my room like the walking dead to pack my gear. I was a good hand with a hammer. Someone could use me somewhere...even if Orus didn't need me._

****Present Day****

A shove to my shoulder brought me back to the here and now.  I looked over my shoulder to the Charr Lionguard and then took in my surroundings.  Orus wouldn't come for me this time.   He was off playing  hero. I was standing in a...well, it looked like the bottom of boat that had seen better days. A woman stood there and  watched him. She had a nasty shiner  over her right eye. With a sinking feeling, I knew where this was going.

"Ryuu Aquilus," she spoke my name.

I bowed my head  to acknowledge  her.

"You seem to like to cause a lot of trouble, don't you?"

"Sometimes." I heard the low growl from behind me but didn't flinch.

"You caused a bar fight." She saw my arched eyebrow. "You called a Charr the 'son of a soft-clawed flame-eater'. Don't remember that?"

"Unfortunately, I don’t, but  that’s a good insult," I said. "If you're looking to piss off a Charr."

“Which it did. Which led to a very nasty brawl. In the end,   the Lionguard put an end to it, and you were  resistant to stopping.”  Ellen Kiel touched the bruise on her eye. “When ordered to stop, you resisted. I must say, you pack a punch. Most think you should be sitting in your cell cooling off. I think at a time like this, Lion’s Arch can’t afford to let a fighter of your...skill go to waste. In lieu of pressing charges,  you’ll work off your punishment. The Lionguard will make sure you’re equipped with sufficient gear. You’ll be paid a minimum wage.   We’re not completely unfair.  For one year you’ll serve the Lionguard, and all charges of misconduct will be dropped.”

It was blackmail. I studied her  for a moment.

“And if I don’t?” I asked, wanting to know my options.

“Well, you may have noticed that Lion’s Arch is currently in shambles from Scarlet Briar’s attack. I’m certain a young man such as yourself could be useful in the rebuild process.”

Oh, that was definitely blackmail. She had some nerve to conscript me like that, but I could respect it. I didn’t want to  haul bricks around. The deal was fair. If I’d punched her then I was getting off very lightly. Conscription wasn’t a horrible price to pay for bar fight. I  nodded.

“You have yourself a deal, Captain,” I told her, a faint smile on my lips. “When do I start?”

“Now. Braxtus, escort Mr. Aquilus to the quartermaster to requisition the necessary supplies, then have him report to the duty officer to be assigned. I’m certain some patrolling will ease that hangover of his.”

Ellen Kiel  turned and walked away, leaving me  with Braxtus the Charr, who  growled an affirmative and  walked away with me in his wake.

This would be interesting.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [Wolfsheart](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfsheart) for beta-ing the story even though she has no clue about the video game.
> 
> This was originally written as a submission for [Chronicles of Tyria's ](http://chroniclesoftyria.com)writing contest. I didn't get anywhere with it. I hadn't had it fully beta'd so there were a lot of mistakes in it.


End file.
